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Payroll consulting & Award compliance
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Forensics

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Our team of specialist forensic accountants and investigators have extensive experience in tracing assets and the flow of funds.

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Insolvency

Our insolvency teams takes a proactive approach so our clients have access to more business turnaround options and retain the most value for all stakeholders.

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Complex and international insolvency
As corporate finance specialists, Grant Thornton can help you with raising equity, listings, corporate structuring and compliance.
Safe Harbour advisory
Our Safe Harbour Advisory helps directors address requirements for Safe Harbour protection and business turnaround.
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Small business restructuring process
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Asset tracing investigations
Our team of specialist forensic accountants and investigators have extensive experience in tracing assets and the flow of funds.

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Restructuring and turnaround

We help clients identify and undertake restructuring and turnaround initiatives to preserve profitability and protect and recover value.

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Independent business reviews
Does your company need a health check? Grant Thornton’s expert team can help you get to the heart of your issues to drive sustainable growth.
Commercial performance
We help clients improve commercial performance, profitability and address challenges after internal or external triggers require a major business model shift.
Safe Harbour advisory
Our Safe Harbour advisory helps directors address requirements for Safe Harbour protection and business turnaround.
Corporate simplification
We provide corporate simplification and managed wind-down advice to help streamline and further improve your business.
Director advisory services
We provide strategic director advisory services in times of business distress to help directors navigate issues and protect their company and themselves from liability.
Debt advisory
We work closely with clients and lenders to provide holistic debt advisory services so you can raise or manage existing debt to meet your strategic goals.

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Business services

We work with private businesses across Australia – and internationals looking to Australia for their investments and operations – on all accounting and...

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Business planning & strategy
Our clients can access business planning and strategy advice through our value add business strategy sessions.
Private business company secretarial services
We provide company secretarial services and expert advice for private businesses on all company secretarial matters.
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We act as a third-party partner to international businesses looking to invest in Australia on your day-to-day finance and accounting needs.
Superannuation and SMSF
We provide SMSF advisory services across all aspects of superannuation and associated tax laws to help you protect and grow your wealth.
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We help you build comprehensive management reporting so that you have key insights as your business grows and changes.
Financial reporting
We help with all financial reporting needs, including set up, scaling up, spotting issues and improving efficiency.
Forecasting & budgeting
We help you build and maintain a business forecasting and budgeting model for ongoing insights about your business.
ATO audit support
Our team of experts provide ATO audit support across the whole process to ensure ATO requirements are met.
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We help private business leaders efficiently structure their organisation for optimal operation and tax compliance.
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Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)

Having a considered and informed ESG response has never been more important for all organisations as we are seeing awareness of the elements of ESG continue to...

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ESG & sustainability reporting
There is a growing demand for organisations to provide transparency on their commitment to sustainability and disclosure of the nonfinancial impacts of their business activities. Commonly, the responsibility for sustainability and ESG reporting is landing with CFOs and finance teams, requiring a reassessment of a range of reporting processes and controls.
ESG & sustainability advisory
With the ESG and sustainability landscape continuing to evolve, we are focussed on helping your business to understand what ESG and sustainability represents and the opportunities and challenges it can provide.

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Consulting

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Our management consulting services team helps you to plan and implement the right strategy to deliver sustainable growth.
Financial consulting
We provide financial consulting services to keep your business running so you focus on your clients and reaching strategic goals.

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We take a full view of Indigenous-specific requirements and optimisation opportunities available to businesses.

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Asia

The growth gateway

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China practice
The investment opportunities between Australia and China are well established yet, in recent years, have also diversified.
Japan practice
The trading partnership between Japan and Australia is long-standing and increasingly important to both countries’ economies.
India practice
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Agribusiness, Food & Beverage

Supporting the growth of ‘Australian Made’ in today’s markets

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Energy & Resources

From an active natural resources M&A market, a growing energy and renewable energy market, to new technologies and export and trade agreements – we have the...

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Renewable Energy
Transformation through energy transition

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In 2017, new Safe Harbour legislation passed allowing directors of companies in financial distress to access Safe Harbour protection from personal liability for insolvent trading while implementing a turnaround strategy for their business.

What is Safe Harbour protection for directors?

The Safe Harbour rules give directors breathing space to turnaround their business without the fear of being pursued for an insolvent trading claim and to avoid prematurely placing their company into external administration. It encourages businesses to work through financial difficulties by putting in place a restructuring plan that is likely to lead to a better outcome than a formal insolvency appointment.

Generally, there are early warning signs that businesses experience that would trigger the need for Safe Harbour protections. These may include:

cash flow difficulties
breaches of finance covenants
ATO demands
loss of key customers/suppliers
market disruption
legal disputes
working capital constraints
inability to access capital
solvency concerns.

Turnaround direction & support

The Grant Thornton's restructuring advisory team can assist by:

providing advice on the requirements for Safe Harbour protection
bringing expertise and insights to identify turnaround options
developing and implementing a restructuring plan
providing directors with access to appropriately qualified advisors specifically focused on the needs of the business
ongoing monitoring and reporting to stakeholders.

We bring market-leading restructuring capability and expertise combined with a full service advisory firm with regional and global reach. Our team can provide advice on the practical considerations and legal requirements for Safe Harbour protection, as well as guide a company through the entire process of developing and implementing a restructuring plan.

Choosing an appropriately qualified advisor

Directors appointing an advisor to assist in developing a restructuring plan are responsible for ensuring that adviser is appropriately qualified. Considerations for an 'appropriately qualified entity' include:

possessing minimum educational qualifications and being subject to continuing professional development (CPD) whether by law or by membership of a professional association
possessing appropriate professional indemnity insurance
being bound by a code of conduct or similar professional standards
relevance to the nature, size and complexity of the business, as well as specific industry expertise
the advisor’s independence and good standing.

Our restructuring advisory partners meet these requirements.

Our approach to Safe Harbour advisory

Our Safe Harbour advisory offering is tailored specifically to the needs of each business. We can:

provide an immediate financial viability assessment
assist with preparation of a short term financial forecast
advise on the requirements for Safe Harbour protection
undertake stakeholder engagement and management
assist with developing and implementing an appropriate turnaround plan, including:
- reviewing, developing and monitoring forecasts
- identifying, reviewing & assessing milestones and KPIs
- working capital optimisation to free up cash in the business
- performance improvement advisory
- contingency planning for a formal restructure.

Get in contact

Partner & National Head of Restructuring Advisory

Matt Byrnes

Contact Matt Byrnes Learn more about Matt Byrnes

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